Octopuses, squid, and cuttlefish show remarkable cognitive abilities and pain responses, prompting new welfare protections in some jurisdictions and ethical questions in research.
Octopuses used in research or kept in captivity require enrichment to prevent behavioral deterioration. Laboratory housing without enrichment produces stereotypic behaviors and reduced immune function in these highly active predators. Invasive research procedures are conducted without adequate welfare safeguards in many jurisdictions that do not extend protections to cephalopods. The brief lifespan of cephalopods may create complacency about welfare standards that would not be acceptable for longer-lived vertebrates.